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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — to tire
  7. kick — in football
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com